Is it possible to learn to sound “modern” on the piano even if you’re a beginner? The answer is absolutely yes, but you must be willing to learn a little differently. You must learn about a method called the open position chord approach.

Most students who learn the chord based approach start out learning triads and play them with the left hand in one octave. The right hand plays the melody. There’s nothing wrong with this approach. However, the music can sound a little dull, flat and “non-modern.”

The open position approach was first introduced by Alan Swain, the author of “Four-Way Keyboard System.” The open position chord approach allows the student to go beyond the chord based approach by adding the 7th to the basic triad and rearranging the notes so that it covers more than one octave with both hands. The end result is a fuller, modern sounding music than the chord based approach.

For example, if you’re playing the C major triad. With the chord based approach you play C E G with the left hand one octave below middle C. Your right hand would be playing the melody line. Now with the open position chord method we add the 7th to the triad, which is B, making it Cmaj7. If we play C G and B (root and 5th and 7th) on the left hand and E B (3rd and 7th), an octave higher AND the melody note, we cover a much broader range and open up a fuller harmony. This is the essence of the open position approach.

So next time you sit down on the piano, instead of playing your triad with the left hand and melody on the right hand, try the open position chord method. You’ll experience a much different feel than before.

Alex Nguyen is the “Rapid Piano” expert who has been playing piano for over 20 years. Now he’s helping others learn to play piano rapidly and enjoy it from day one. To get your FREE mini report “The 7 Most Powerful Tips To Learning The Piano Rapidly,” and learn how you can get personal piano coaching from Alex for FREE for a limited time, visit http://www.RapidPiano.com